La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne (pronounced [la flɛʃ walɔn], French for "The Walloon Arrow") is a men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Wallonia, Belgium.
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | Late April |
| Region | Wallonia, Belgium |
| English name | Walloon Arrow |
| Local name(s) | La Flèche Wallonne (in French) |
| Discipline | Road |
| Competition | UCI World Tour |
| Type | One-day |
| Organiser | Amaury Sport Organisation |
| Web site | www |
| History | |
| First edition | 1936 |
| Editions | 88 (as of 2024) |
| First winner | Philippe Demeersman (BEL) |
| Most wins | Alejandro Valverde (ESP) (5 wins) |
| Most recent | Stephen Williams (GBR) |
The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is today normally held mid-week between the Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. At one time, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège were run on successive days as "Le Weekend Ardennais" (both races are organised by Amaury Sport Organisation). Only seven riders have achieved the "Ardennes double" by winning both races in the same year: Alejandro Valverde three times (in 2006, 2015 and 2017), Ferdi Kübler twice (in 1951 and 1952), Stan Ockers (1955), Eddy Merckx (1972), Moreno Argentin (1991) Davide Rebellin (2004) and Philippe Gilbert (2011).